This invention relates to a pet food product and process for its use in improving clinical signs in animals suffering from renal disease.
Renal failure is one of the most common causes of death in dogs. In animals which suffer from renal disease, several blood indices are used to determine the severity of the disease. These indices include blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. BUN and creatinine levels in the bloodstream increase during the course of renal failure because damage to the kidney of the animal makes the kidney inadequate to filter waste products. Because inadequate filtration of waste products is the fundamental basis of renal disease, BUN and creatinine are considered the primary indicators of renal disease.
Other clinical parameters which are important to the animal suffering from renal disease are phosphorus, carbon dioxide, and triglyceride levels. Hyperphosphatemia (abnormally high blood levels of phosphorus) often manifests itself during renal disease. Previous scientific research has indicated that lowering dietary intake of phosphorus is beneficial to lessening the progression of renal disease. However, prior commercial pet food formulations have been unable to provide low levels of dietary phosphorus and still meet all of the amino acid requirements of the canine because the phosphorus component of such diets is primarily derived from ingredients high in protein. Thus, lowering the phosphorus content of the diet required a lowering of the protein components in the diet to levels which are insufficient to supply the amino acid requirements of the animal.
Carbon dioxide levels are an indicator of the level of metabolic buffering (acid-base balance) that occurs in an animal. Metabolic acidosis becomes a problem for an animal suffering from renal disease, and high carbon dioxide levels are indicators of a lack of buffering. Another parameter which is important in animals suffering from renal disease is the blood triglyceride level. It is important in the animal suffering from renal disease as the triglyceride level is often greater than in normal animals. It would be desirable to be able to control these additional parameters in the renal patient through diet.
Current dietary therapies to reduce measured BUN, creatinine, and phosphorus levels include decreasing the amount of dietary protein to levels where amino acids are present in insufficient quantities. Decreasing the level of dietary protein decreases BUN since urea is ultimately derived from protein. However, such diets may result in other problems developing for the animal as the animal's protein needs are unmet. Accordingly, there remains a need in this art for a pet food dietary composition which will result in the lowering of BUN, creatinine, and phosphorus levels in the animal without lowering dietary protein to insufficient levels. There also remains a need in this art for a pet food dietary composition which provides improved metabolic buffering and which lowers triglyceride levels in the renal patient.